Attaching tool for threaded connectors



United States Patent ATTACHING TOOL FOR THREADED CONNECTORS Edwin H. Lundquist, Long Beach, Calif.

Application November 5, 1953, Serial No. 399,358

1 Claim. (Cl. 714.1)

This invention relates to an attaching tool whereby threaded connectors may be mounted on metal conduits. Thin walled metal conduits are provided with an attachable threaded coupling at the ends thereof and these couplings are driven on to the tube or conduit by the workman after the conduit has been cut to the required length.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel attaching tool whereby the threaded connector can be accurately and correctly driven on to the end of a tube or conduit.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel attaching tool of the character stated, which is provided with a guide to hold the tool in axial alignment with the conduit, thereby insuring that the threaded connector will be driven on to the conduit in proper alignment and without injuring the threads on the connector.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an attachment means of the character stated, which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and efiective in operation.

A feature of my invention resides in the reaming teeth or cutters on the attaching tool by means of which the end of the tube or conduit may be cleaned of any projections and also reamed so that the threaded connector will easily slip on to the end of the conduit.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claim.

'In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my attaching tool in position to drive the threaded connector on to the tube.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of my attaching tool in the position of driving the threaded connector on to the conduit.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of my attaching tool in the position of reaming or cleaning the end of the conduit.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the cutter teeth on the attaching tool.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates the tubing or conduit of the thin walled type and which is used particularly in the electrical trade. A threaded connector 2 of the usual and well known type is driven on to the end of the conduit 1 for the purpose of threadedly connecting adjacent lengths of conduit. The threaded connector 2 is of the type shown in Patent No. 2,458,276. The threaded connector fits on the outside of the conduit '1 and must be driven on to this conduit with considerable force. This is necessary since the connectors are held on to the conduit by means of spring fingers on the inside of the sleeve 2', all of which is usual and well known in the art. If a hammer or other instrument is used to pound the end of the connector 2, the threads will Patented July 2, 1957 be frequently battered and also it is difiic-ult to place the connector on the conduit so that there is an accurate longitudinal alignment of these parts.

5E accomplish the mounting of the threaded connector by means of the attaching tool 3. This attaching tool consists of a metal cylinder 4 from which a skirt 5 depends. The skirt 5 may be integrally formed with the cylinder 4, although for manufacturing purposes I prefer that it be a separate part and be fixedly attached to the cylinder. The

0 lower end of the skirt 5 engages a ring 6 which is provided on the connector 2. This ring acts as a flange or shoulder upon which the skirt 5 can bear, thus any blow which is imparted to the attaching tool is transmitted to the ring 6 and not to the threads of the connector 2.

A tip 7 is mounted on the upper end of the cylinder 4 and is preferably formed of a material which will withstand a blow or other shock. The tip 7 may fit over a projection '8 on the cylinder 4, thus effectively mounting the tip on the shoulder and making an integral unit of these parts. A guide rod 9 extends downwardly from the cylinder 4 and fits within the conduit 1, substantially as shown in the drawings. This guide rod 9 serves to accurately align the cylinder 4 and the skirt 5 with the longitudinal axis of the conduit 1. Thus, when the tip 7 is struck with a hammer or the like an even blow will be imparted to the ring 6, through the skirt, and thus the connector will be accurately and correctly driven on to the end of the conduit 1.

When the tube or conduit 1 is cut there is frequently left a rough edge or cuttings which would prevent the connector 2 from fitting accurately on the end of the conduit. To clean and ream the end of the conduit, I provide reaming or cutting teeth 10 on the bottom surface of the cylinder 4. These reaming teeth are preferably V-shaped, as shown in Figure 6, so as to ream and clean both the inside and outside edges of the tube 1, thus enabling the connector 2 to be readily shaped on to the end of the tube. The reaming cutters 10 are used before the connector 2 is placed on the tube 1. Thereafter, the connector tube is titted on to the end of the tube, the tool is now placed in position with the guide rod 9 extending into the tube and the skirt 5 engaging the ring 6 of the connector. A hammer or other tool is now used to strike the tip 7 which drives the connector 2 on to the tube 1 in a correct manner and without injuring the threads of the connector.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A tool for use in frictionally mounting a tubular externally threaded connector on thin-walled tubing wherein said connector is provided with a threaded end and a cooperating latenally projecting ring spaced a predetermined distance from said end, said tool comprising: a body having a cylindrical pilot portion projecting therefrom and of a diameter to snugly but slida-bly enter said tubing, a skirt on said body concentric to said pilot, spaced out- Wardly therefrom and having a free edge defining a plane perpendicular to the axis of said pilot, said free edge being of a diameter no greater than said ring, and means on said body defining reaming teeth in the space between said pilot and skirt and spaced axially from said free edge a distance greater than said predetermined distance, said reaming teeth being concentrically arranged around said pilot and radially positioned adjacent said pilot to engage and clean the end of tubing surrounding said pilot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,164,903 Ackerman et a1. Dec. 21, 1915 1,357,146 Case Oct. 26, 1920 2,544,058 Watkins Mar. 6, 1951 2,575,779 Young Nov. 20, 1951 2,618,189 Almes Nov. 18, 1952 

